The present invention relates to a wheel cover for a small vehicle, such as a motorcycle and/or a tricycle, and particularly to a wheel cover for a small vehicle equipped with a disk brake system.
In a disk brake system for a motorcycle, a rotating disk (fitted integrally to one side or each side of a wheel) is generally exposed to air, and therefore, friction heat generating during braking is dissipated by air while the vehicle is moving, i.e. running. However, when the sides of a wheel including a rotating disk are covered with covers in order to prevent the disk brake system from contamination, it is difficult for the rotating disk to receive air. In view of this, methods were employed in the past for improving the heat dissipation effect of the rotating disk, by enlarging the rotating disk in area, by adaping a ventilated disk, or by providing the cover with air intake ports (see Patent Publication No. Sho 58-88237 and Patent Publication No. Sho 58-84238, for example).
However, enlarging a rotating disk in area is limited by relation with wheel shape, employing a ventilated disk increases weight as compared to an ordinary rotating disk, and providing a cover with air intake ports requires means for air exhaustion.
The object of the present invention is, when a wheel of a small vehicle equipped with a disk brake system is covered with a wheel cover, to provide means for performing its cooling effectively, regardless of the shape of its rotating disk.
This object is accomplished by fixing a pair of left and right, annular first covers, extending toward the axis of the wheel axle, to the inner or back wall means of a rim to which a wheel spoke section is connected. The first covers rotate with the wheel and are provided with a plurality of air exhaust ports arranged in the peripheral direction. A pair of left and right second covers cooperate with the said first covers on both sides of the wheel to form inner chambers cooperatively and generally housing wheel components including brake caliper means. The second covers are provided with an air intake port means capable of catching, i.e. receiving, air while running and are carried by wheel support means so as to be relatively fixed--i.e. not mounted for rotation with the wheel.
By this arrangement, air which enters through the air intake port means of at least one of the second covers, which is fixed to a wheel supporting member side, passes the inner chamber means formed with the wheel cover, dissapates friction heat generated by frictional sliding contact between the rotating disk and friction pad means of the caliper means, and is exhausted outside through the air exhaust ports means of the first cover means that rotate together with the wheel.
In describing this invention, reference will be made by way of example, but not limitation, to a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the appended drawings.